Chapter Chapter 1 Liam Archer lost a bet with his newly adopted " little sister . " . The punishment : be single for a month . So he handed me the divorce papers . " Just sign them . It's only for a month . You've got to have a sense of sportsmanship . " I didn't say anything . I just obediently wrote my name . Not long after , Liam lost another bet . 09:53 " This time , I have to spend the night with her . We're just talking , nothing else . Don't get any ideas . " As he spoke , a small , square foil packet fell out of his pocket . He cleared his throat , made an excuse about a work emergency , and headed for a hotel . Once he was gone , I replied to a message that had just come in . [ I'm leaving the country in a week . Want to come ? ] [ Yes ] 1 The next day , I started packing . Halfway through , Liam , who hadn't been home all night , walked in . There were fresh , angry red marks on his neck , and he yawned from lack of sleep . " Going on a trip ? " I nodded , a knot of guilt in my stomach . Liam didn't seem to notice anything was wrong . " It's about time you got out . You're always cooped up in this house , you have no idea what's going on in the world . Not like Zoey . We can talk about anything . " Zoey . The " little sister " he'd met at a bar six months ago . They were inseparable , constantly making bets . The stakes started small - a coffee , a meal - but had escalated to hugs and kisses . I had cried . I had thrown fits . All it earned me was Liam's disgust . " It's just a game . Why do you have to be so serious ? " Gradually , I stopped speaking up . So now , hearing him praise her at my expense , I just stayed silent and continued packing . After a moment , Liam asked , " When do you leave ? " " Six days . " The next thing I knew , I was airborne . He lifted me , tossed me onto the bed , and pulled me into his warm embrace . " Don't move . Just sleep with me for a bit . " I couldn't break free . I was forced to breathe in the scent of another woman on his skin , my mind conjuring a chaotic slideshow of images . Tangled limbs , frantic passion , filth . Tears started to fall , hot and silent . Liam frowned , annoyed . He gave my back a few perfunctory pats . " You know , I'm the only one who could ever put up with you being so dramat- ic , Kiara . " " Without me , you'd be worse off than a stray dog on the street . " He repeated the same lines he'd said a thousand times before and slowly drifted off to sleep . I wiped my tears and carefully slipped out of his arms . Staring at the face I had loved for ten years , a cold resolve settled in my heart . Even if I had to live like a dog , I wouldn't stay by his side any longer . 2 As the day of my departure grew closer , I started having vivid dreams of the past . The first time eight - year - old Liam saw me , he stared so intently that he tripped and fell flat on his face . It left a small , permanent scar on his forehead . 1/7 09:53 Chapter 1 09:53 0990 He wore it like a badge of honor , announcing to everyone that he would be my one and only knight , protecting me for the rest of our lives . He was a boy of his word . When the chubby kid next door stole my candy , Liam cornered him in an alley after school and knocked out two of his teeth . When a girl in my class , Chloe , deliberately spilled ink on my dress , he drew ninety - nine hideous caricatures of her and plastered them all over the school , scaring her into staying home . Back then , wherever Kiara Reed was , Liam Archer was never more than a few feet away . We were inseparable . We were in love . Until eighth grade . On a perfectly ordinary day , my parents died in a plane crash . I was an orphan . My uncle took me in . I changed schools , moved my legal recor ds , and traveled thousands of miles to a new city down south . In that strange new world , I learned to go to school alone , to eat alone , to be alone . My days were full , but my heart was always empty . The day I was diagnosed with depression , the confused , accusatory look in my uncle's eyes was a weight I couldn't bear . I found myself standing at the foot of a thirty - story building , gazing up at the roof with a strange sense of longing . When I looked away , I saw him . Liam . I thought I was hallucinating , but he walked right up to me , his eyes shining like stars . " Kiara , I've been going crazy thinking about you ." I broke down , sobbing . " Take me with you . Please . " " I can't stand it here anymore ! The clothes get mildewed if you leave them out , and the roaches are indestructible ! " Liam held me for a long time . Then he went to my uncle and got down on his knees . He swore an oath : " I will take care of Kiara . I'll help her finish school , we'll get into our dream college together . If I fail , may I die a horrible death . " And just like that , he took me home . After college , he married me . At our wedding , as he slipped the ring on my finger , he cried like a child and swore on his life , again , that he wou- Id make me happy forever . But now , I opened my eyes . The other side of our king - sized bed was empty and cold . Liam hadn't been home in five days . The only way I knew what he was up to was through his social media . In his latest post , there was a sterile white gauze patch on his forehead , like he'd just had surgery . A comment below asked what happened . He replied : " Zoey said the old scar was ugly and ruined my good looks , so I had it removed . " I froze . The mark of my knight was gone . He wasn't going to protect me anymore . It's okay , I told myself . I was leaving tomorrow . There was no point in dwelling on it . But the sharp , needle - like pain in my heart was impossible to ignore . 3 A long time later , my phone buzzed with a new message . [ Get to Midnight Sun now . ] Midnight Sun was the city's biggest and most exclusive nightclub , a chaotic , anything - goes place . It was also where Liam and Zoey had met . I hated it there . I put my phone down , pretending I hadn't seen the message . Another one came through immediately . [ If you're not here in an hour , you're not going anywhere , ever . ] He knew I was leaving tomorrow . It was a threat . I gritted my teeth and went . As I pushed open the door to the designated VIP room , a roar of cheers erupted . " Forty - two minutes ! Liam bet she'd be here in thirty ! Liam loses ! Zoey wins ! " Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!